The chemicals industry contributes a significant amount to global pollution levels. Within this context, conversations around sustainability have to grow beyond mere lip service and graduate into actionable strategies, if the industry is to move forward. Sustainability is the key driver of competitive advantage and value creation. Research conducted by McKinsey underscores the correlation between green practices and financial performance, revealing that companies with greener product portfolios tend to outperform their peers in total shareholder returns. The imperative to curb carbon emissions has propelled rapid innovation within the chemicals sector as companies seek to align their operations with sustainability goals while navigating a landscape made all the more challenging with economic and geopolitical uncertainties. There are four pivotal areas where chemicals and materials organizations are directing their efforts to foster sustainability and drive continued growth. The European Commission’s landmark chemicals strategy for sustainability, unveiled in 2020, introduced the concept of Safe and Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD). SSbD emphasizes a proactive, pre-market approach aimed at delivering functionality while mitigating potential harm to human health and the environment. This holistic framework necessitates a lifecycle perspective, which compels chemical producers to assess the environmental and social impacts across every stage of product development and usage. Central to the SSbD framework are four foundational design principles: 1) Green Chemistry (harnessing waste as sustainable feedstock and minimizing resource consumption); 2) Green Engineering (incorporating self-healing designs and innovative materials to enhance product longevity and durability); 3) Sustainable Chemistry (rethinking manufacturing processes to optimize resource efficiency and product performance); and 4) Circularity by Design (developing products and packaging with inherent recyclability and reusability, thereby closing the loop on material flows). These principles, championed by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, lay the groundwork for developing robust SSbD criteria, encompassing material and chemical hazards, human health and safety considerations, and socio-economic sustainability metrics.